Astrenza, Heart of the Sky

The mistress of rain, lady of lakes, and singer of stories.

During the time of darkness food became hard to come by and monsters roamed the land. Seeing the suffering of the people, Astrenza wept. The torrent of tears went on season after season, year after year, until the Astrensea was full. Surrounded by bountiful waters and separated from the monsters of the land, the people of the islands began their long recovery from generations of hardship.

— The Story of Astrenza

Within the Goddess's Reach

Of all the gods worshipped on the Geetan Archipelago, Astrenza is the one who is said to interact with people most frequently. It is believed that many of the stories told among the islanders would have been lost if they had not been heard and passed on by the goddess herself.
Because these stories are remembered through song, the relationship between the voice and the divine has given the act of singing special significance among the islands.

The Sea of Tears

Astrenza's most well-known act is when she cried so much after watching the suffering of the people that she filled the Astrensea and created the Salt Flats. The sea and its harvest were the first benefits to the residents of the new islands. The salt on that one distant shore was the next as it allowed them to preserve their fish - and later trade salt and saltfish with other nations. The effect of the largest body of water on Breharan in maintaining a mild climate is the third.

Depictions

The Heart of the Sky is depicted always as a human woman and usually with a veil covering the lower part of her face - such a veil is used as a ceremonial item among the people of the Geetan Archipelago. She is tall and thin, with light, flowing, clothes that blow in the wind. Depending on the depiction she will have skin that varies between a sandy color to a much darker brown, in some artistic cases she will be other colors such as blue or light-grey.
Most commonly drawings and statuettes are frozen in the act for which she is most remembered, crying the Astrensea into existence, though sometimes she is modeled performing her lesser-known acts.

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Catching a Goddess

Among the many myths about Astrenza there is one in which Chachren - jealous that Astrenza chose another over him - used his power to turn Asatrenza into a fish and cast her down into the Astrensea.
After some time a fisherman catches her but before being gutted she asks him to spare her and that in exchange for her life, she would grant him her blessing - which she is unable to do in her current state.
It takes many years before they find a way to return her to her true form and the fisherman has grown old, his children now having children. The restored goddess offers to extend his life but the man refuses, asking that instead his family be blessed with good health and bountiful harvests.

"When prayers go unanswered, sing to the singer."

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Geetan Archipelago

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The Salt Flats